


Collage (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 20 - Writer's Pick [Part (Continuation)])

by Ivelia



Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [20]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Patch 5.3: Reflections in Crystal Spoilers, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26572606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivelia/pseuds/Ivelia
Summary: Part of my attempt for #FFXIVWrite2020 - September 20 (Day 20 -  Writer's Pick [Part (Continuation)])Further fragments of thoughts from a certain red-haired Mystel. (Continuation of the entry from Day 14)Spoilers for Patch 5.3 and short stories, please read at your own discretion!
Series: FFXIV Write 2020 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906951
Kudos: 2





	Collage (FFXIVWrite2020 Day 20 - Writer's Pick [Part (Continuation)])

The warm rays of light hitting his face through the windows of his room in the Carline Canopy finally force him to open his eyes for good. As he stretched lithely, he once more thanked the Twelve for  _ yet another nice morning in the Source _ . It may sound cheesy to some, but he had learnt to appreciate these little things that everyone usually took for granted, like watching the softly blending colors of dawn in the morning, instead of nothing but the bleary glare of the Everlasting Light, day in and day out, like it used to be on Norvrandt. Although night had finally been brought back on the First, and even though it was never gone on the Source, he would still marvel at this, thinking back of everything they had accomplished for such a simple thing. Also, having lived through more than a century with the cold, bland rays that could not serve as an alarm clock, so he did appreciate the extra help in the mornings.

Not that he especially needed it this particular morning, as prior to opening his eyes, he had been tossing and turning, awoken by the throes of … hunger, a sense he had all but discarded when he was the Crystal Exarch, due to his symbiotic relationship with the Tower. This was not what he had expected when he finally managed to shut his eyes for good last night. The Scion party was currently in Gridania, in preparation for a survey of some abnormal phenomenon, and tomorrow they could go check the place described in the report. Smelling the unmistakable scent of adventure, when they finally arrived at the inn, he had been overly excited by the perspective, and as time stretched before he could finally fall prey to slumber, he started to be afraid of not actually being able afraid of falling asleep, which then compounded with the fear that once he’d fall asleep, he might not be even able to wake up on time; that would be super embarrassing. Yet in the end, he had been awoken by his own stomach, which might be even worse… Obeying the growl in his belly, he moved to get out of bed; surely now would be a good time to check on the others?

As he stood up and went through his morning routine, he marvelled yet again at how light his own body felt, both physically and mentally. On one hand, it might be because, after a  _ long _ time, he had finished this duty; being able to shed the burden he had been carrying for centuries, it was expected that he would feel better. And there was also the matter of trading his old, literally crystallized flesh for this youthful body. Yet, he was not as uncoordinated as one would expect, for it was not as he had stolen someone’s body; this was, after all, is his own flesh, and the process that saw him recover it was  _ augmentation _ rather than  _ replacement. _ His memories of what he lived through as the Exarch, fused seamlessly with his waking up again as a youngster after a shorter than expected slumber in the Crystal Tower. Somehow, it felt a bit like he had dreamed this other life on the first. But it was not blurry like a dream, it would never be. He could remember in vivid detail everything, every single moment that he shared with those he had met along the tortuous way, those who had sacrificed everything for a better tomorrow. And he would strive to remember it forever;  _ he owed them at least this _ .

He also wanted to immortalize their deeds in writing but…. Her remembered that he had left this memoirs notes and draft on the First… He kinda wanted to ask her to bring them back to him but… He needed to have her swear that she wouldn’t peek at it! As an historian, he was a bit sad that he had been “sleeping” at a time that saw a lot of historical upheavals: the end to the Seventh Umbral Era, the end of Dragonsong War, the liberation of Doma and Ala Mhigo… All by the hand of the same people. But he consoled himself thinking that thanks to the hard work that had been done to rewrite history, their story had yet to end, and the most interesting part, their future, had yet to be written. And this time, he would be there to witness it.

**Author's Note:**

> I was salty I couldn't develop all of the ideas I had jotted down for day 14, so here! plus we got some nice extra insight in the form of the 8th "Tales from the Shadows" on the Lodestone as well \o/ Fresh from the oven!  
> Actually I am still salt because I had to cut out stuff (like most of the "duality" thematic) again but oh well... (no I'm not doing the continuation of the continuation on next makeup day xD  
> Also this made me realise... Everyone was like "oh, WoL is an isekai character" back when ShB came out... And now that the Exarch came back to the source, it's like he's a character from a Rebirth-type novel or something xD


End file.
